Lady's Bedstraw

Galium verum

Golden yellow, fragrant, billowing masses of tiny flowers that smell strongly of new mown hay throughout the summer.

Legend has it that Mary gave birth to Jesus on a bed of this plant and that the plant has been blessed with golden flowers ever since (all other Bedstraws are white). More recently, the flowers were used to stuff mattresses in medieval times as the pleasant smell of the dried plant was said to discourage fleas.

Shiny, narrow, lance-shaped bright green leaves are produced in whorls around the stems.

This delightful native perennial is fairly common along roadsides and hedgerows and looks fabulous in a meadow where its sprawling, clouds of scented flowers and soft, billowing foliage create gentle summery drifts.

The roots of this plant can be used to produce a red dye and the flowers can be used as a natural rennet to curdle cheese.

Tolerates mowing.

Attracts a wide variety of butterflies and is the food source of the Hummingbird Hawk Moth.